I generally take it for granted that most people are coffee drinkers. After all, why would someone willingly deprive themselves of the rich, aromatic sensory experience that is Coffea arabica?

Well?

That’s what I thought: there’s no good reason.

Occasionally, however, I stumble across some misguided soul who claims they don’t like the taste of coffee. After staring at them blankly for a few seconds to ensure this isn’t a poorly formed attempt at humor, I begin the process of bringing them into the fold. The most common error that leads to the perception that coffee is distasteful is the exclusive consumption of low-quality coffee. Most people develop their love of the black beverage when they first have a high quality cup. It’s not an experience that needs to be repeated often, but serves to establish the synapse between the neuron representing “coffee” and the one representing “good” (for you neuroscientists out there, I’m over-simplifying…you get the idea). Thereafter, even mediocre coffee can trigger this same response. With seasoned aficionados like myself, even barely-drinkable coffee is tolerated because of the connection, however distant, with the memory of truly great coffee.

I can’t think of other examples of a beverage which has this effect. The obvious problem here is for those that never have had that good cup. To them, their coffee-good connection in the brain is underdeveloped. Given this limitation in neurological development, some might refer to these individuals as “retarded”, but I find that a little politically incorrect. I prefer to think of them having a “special need” - a need for a good cup of coffee!

If you encounter one of this individuals, please do your civic duty and make them a cup of high quality brew. If you are unable or unwilling to perform this duty, please notify a flight attendant…er…please find someone who can. Life is to short to be spent without an appreciation for coffee.

This entry was posted on Sunday, October 21st, 2007 at 6:41 am and is filed under food. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.